71. The bud is dark gray and satiny. The bark is dark brown and
deeply ridged and the fruit is the familiar round walnut.

[Illustration: FIG. 70.--Bark of the Mockernut Hickory.]

Form and size: A tall tree with a spreading crown composed of stout
branches. In the open it grows very symmetrically.

Range: Eastern United States.

Soil and location: The black walnut prefers a deep, rich, fertile soil
and requires a great deal of light.

Enemies: The tree is a favorite of many caterpillars.

Value for planting: It forms a beautiful spreading tree on open ground,
but is not planted to any extent because it is hard to transplant.
It grows slowly unless the soil is very deep and rich, develops its
leaves late in the spring and sheds them early in the fall and
produces its fruit in great profusion.

Commercial value: The wood is heavy, strong, of chocolate brown color
and capable of taking a fine polish. It is used for cabinet making
and interior finish of houses. The older the tree, usually, the
better the wood, and the consumption of the species in the past has
been so heavy that it is becoming rare. The European varieties which
are frequently planted in America as substitutes for the native
species yield better nuts, but the American species produces better
wood.